i'm going to give you all a point of reference so you can judge my review based off of that point. halo 3 is my favorite multiplayer console shooter to date. it's a matter of opinion and what you enjoy, but i feel that it has more depth than most of the others out there...
with that said: i've been pretty bored lately, so i decided that it was time to go ahead and give some of my earlier games a run through again until my new internet provider hooks it up. unreal just so happened to be at the top of the list, cause shooters kick ass.
to be completely honest, first impressions of the game were that it sucked due to the APPARENT reliance on twitch reflexes. however, as i played the game more i found that it has more depth to it than any other shooter i've played. it truly is a wonder how this game never made it on to the pro circuit.
so let's start with the campaign. it's not what you've come to expect from games of today. the only thing at all story related are the cutscenes (which are well-done, but it also shows that epic really only know one way to animate. it is far too similar to their later projects in the gears story line) and a minor mission brief before you start the individual missions. this is what is going to turn people away. the campaign is basically just a copy of multiplayer and instant action with bots. but, play the game on insane and you'll be hard pressed to find a better challenge. the other great part is that you can play with up to four people and they can come and go as they wish (host excluded). this does make the game a great deal easier if playing with skilled players, but still not as arcade simple as halo 3 on legendary. it has quite a few missions, number between forty and fifty, and you'll most likely have to play most of them quite a few times before you pass it and can move on to the next one.
the multiplayer is where it's at. it is seamless online. the game works on dedicated servers OR you can choose to enter a hosted match or host one yourself. the dedicated servers are amazing and include us west/east/north and uk. i've played on all these servers and amazingly enough, there is little lag even on the uk servers. the main problem is that this game is a bit old and you're likely only to find roughly 100 people online at a time. this doesn't really impede you from finding a match, it just limits you to playing the same people over and over again, and it limits what games you're likely to find a match in. all the gametypes (even fps staples) do have a unique feel to them and there was a lot of thought put into balance and map design. you never feel cheated out of a win.
the weapons: your first play through, you probably won't think that there is anything special about them. they are all able killing machines, even the default pistol. it's the secondary fire and the combinations of both primary and secondary that make them truly amazing. as you play the game more and more, you start to feel the depth involved and realized that you've never quite had a control scheme this simple with a learning curve so steep. you can do tricks on your hoverboard, self destruct vehicles to get a quick kill or destroy advancing armor. you can jump off of walls to avoid incoming fire. it really is amazing just how much this game has in it and how little you see people take the time to learn it and put it to use. part of the problem stems from the fact the there is very little instruction on how to play. and the controller schematic is only presented in a very slimmed down version.
graphically, this game is much like gears of war. i've already said this. that is definitely not something to turn your head at. this game still looks amazing and it was one of the first on the system. musically, it's nothing special, you'll be better off playing some downloaded rock songs that pump you up for all the people you're about to maim.
the controls on this game are superb because: YOU CAN MAP THE CONTROLLER ANY WAY YOU LIKE. quite possibly the most brilliant and under used aspect of this generation of gaming. don't like the default setups included? make up your own. if only more games implemented this feature.
the only other real downfall is the fact that there is no downloadable content... ...on the 360. sony won this battle by allowing a map editor on the ps3 version and functionality between the ps3 and the computer. it wouldn't be a downfall because there are tons of maps, but since it is missing from the xbox version AND you can't compete with those who own the computer version, it is worth mentioning. (basically if you have both systems, get it for the ps3)
if you're looking for a break from whatever you're addiction, give this game a second look, then give it a long third look. there is much more to this game than there might appear to be initially. it is the successor to the first true online deathmatch game...
